Four Security Council members, including the United Kingdom, issued a joint statement on Wednesday attacking Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to proceed with the E1 settlement plan.

The UK, France, Germany and Portugal said they “strongly oppose” the decision to build 2,612 housing units in East Jerusalem.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is to launch a new Twitter account in Arabic in an attempt to develop his relationships in the Middle East.

The move will allow his office to contact respondents directly in Arabic. The idea, said Mr Netanyahu's Arab media spokesman, Ofir Gendelman, was "[to strengthen] dialogue with Arab media and public opinion”.

Israel has a problem. The E-1 corridor building decision is actually long overdue. Under any future agreement, Maale Adumim would have to remain under Israeli sovereignty – this is a consensus issue in Israel and no prime minister can evict its approximately 40,000 residents without facing a national upheaval.

If you were in any doubt that Bibi has made a boo-boo with the E1 settlement plan, here's the proof. Canada's Stephen Harper, probably the most pro-Israel prime minister in the world, has now also given Benjamin Netanyahu a spanking.

Government sources have told Sky News that Britain has threatened to "revisit" EU trade agreements with Israel in the wake of Israel’s warning that it may build 3,000 new settlement homes east of Jerusalem.

Israel’s warning comes following the UN vote last week to upgrade the Palestinian Authority from ‘entity’ to ‘non-member observer’ status.

Is Avigdor Lieberman’s pencil-bearded, steely-grey-eyed visage Israel’s new face of moderation? Is the ex-Soviet immigrant leader with prime ministerial pretensions the next chain in Zionism’s long story of pragmatism triumphing — sometimes — over destructive dogmatism.